Time Really Does Change Everything
by Dolphin02
Summary: One kiss. That's all it took. Just one kiss. But that was all it took to change everything between Max and Bailey. When they accidentally meet up in Undella Town, can they finally become friends again? Or is there something more between them?


**AN: This was kinda based off my other fics, how I mention this OC called Bailey...yeah, so this is their story, but it's told in a person't point of view. But like...it's a different type of writing. Like...the person is telling it, but then she adds in her own opinion, which is bolded. Can you figure out who it is? Tell me!**

* * *

"Come on out Skarmory. Time to brush!"

A Pokeball popped open and the large, silver, bird Pokemon materialized, cawing in triumph.

"Oh shut it. Nurse Joy might kick me out and that wouldn't be the first time you had something to do with the reason," Max muttered, getting out his special brush. Skarmory just smirked, and cawed quieter.

Max started brushing, gently running the iron brush slowly through the rough, tangled feathers.

He got a nice rhythm going. Two fast brushes, three gentle, detangling brushes.

 **I was surprised that he knew how to take care of himself, much less his Pokemon!**

"Gardevoir!"

 _Oh Arceus. It couldn't be. No...there was no way. Not...Bailey? No...it couldn't be her!_ Max thought wildly.

 **They had parted years ago on uncertain terms. Max had fucking 'accidentally' kissed her! And she had ran away! Never to be seen again! Well...except at public events. Both were known trainers. I so wanted to smack him for that.**

"Gardevoir! Where do you think you're going?"

Max continued brushing Skarmory's feathers, ignoring the obviously familiar voice.

 **He was such a coward!**

"Gardevoir? Where...hey! Come back!"

This time, the voice was closer, and Max took a baited breath, just waiting for the person to come running around the corner. Gardevoir floated around the corner, giving Max a pointed look.

He shrugged, and Skarmory cawed in greeting.

 _1...2...3..._ Max thought, waiting.

 **How adorable that he knew exactly how far apart Gardevoir and Bailey were. And how long it would take Bailey to run around the corner.**

And in three seconds, Bailey came sprinting around the corner. Only to run past Gardevoir, who was leaning casually against the wall next to Gallade, and Max, who was still calmly brushing Skarmory's metal feathers, muttering under his breath.

Bailey ran past the group, frantically calling for Gardevoir, who raise an eyebrow, and did nothing to inform her trainer where she was.

But then Bailey's photographic memory kicked in and she remembered the flash of green further back.

She spun around, her long blond hair flying behind her. "Gardevoir! There you are!"

Bailey's green eyes took in the Gallade leaning next to her Gardevoir with his eyes closed, and the Gallade's trainer next to him, brushing a Skarmory.

The trainer had glasses, dark blue, nearly black hair, a Gallade, a Skarmory...wait. Was that…"Max?" Bailey blurted out, her hand half-raised in a half-hearted greeting.

 **I really did like her. She was a good kid. And she means well.**

"Hey Bailey."

Max didn't even look up at her, and continued brushing, Skarmory purring in content.

"Gallade."

Gallade popped one red eye open, and Gardevoir opened both of hers.

"Gardevoir."

Bailey looked slightly ashamed. "Hey, it's not my fault you decided to blend into the wall!" Bailey snapped indignantly, walking towards her starter.

"Gallade. Ga. Gallade."

"Okay, okay, stop being so mean," Bailey huffed, reaching the group.

"So Bailey," Max turned 180 degrees in his kneeling position, turning to look at Bailey with his midnight eyes. "What're you doing in Undella Town? Last I heard you were making yourself a name through the Johto League."

"Uh…" Bailey wasn't sure how to reply. "Well….I beat the Johto league, but lost to Lance, so I came to Undella for some vacation time. What about you?"

"Passing through."

"How's Gallade?"

"He's fine."

"How's May? I heard she and Drew got together finally."

"She's perfectly normal."

"Petalburg Gym?"

"Dad's running it fine."

"Mrs. Maple?"

"She's eccentric as ever."

"Ash and the others?"

"Fine."

"Brock?"

"Married to Lucy."

"Solidad and Harley?"

"Solidad's pregnant with her second child."

"Misty and the rest of May's friends?"

"Great."

"Ashley?!"

"She's your rival. Not mine. Haven't seen her in years."

"How're **you**?"

"I'm fine," Max said stiffly, turning away to continue brushing Skarmory's feathers.

"Come on Max! We used to be friends! Open up a bit! You used to tell me every little story about your travels! Stop answering everything in just a few words!" Bailey threw up her hands, exasperated. "You used fine like a gajillion times!"

"Well, everything's different now."

It was true. Max was seventeen, and Bailey, sixteen. No longer like their innocent ten and eleven year old selves. They had separated after they traveled Unova together. Max had been fifteen and Bailey, fourteen.

 **They had been best friends.**

 **But Bailey had always had a crush on him. The only problem?**

 **Bailey's other rival. Ashley Gordon.**

 **Gorgeous, extremely wealthy, great trainer, but cunning, ruthless, and also had a crush on Max. Boo-hoo for Bailey.**

 **She was a real rival, mean, cruel, and outright rude. She didn't care what she had to do to get what she wanted. She was a horror to behold. And every since she was fourteen, all Ashley wanted, was Max.**

 **Curious how everything Bailey loved, cared about, and wanted, was always crushed by Ashley.**

 **Guess who Ashley's cousin was? That's right! Lydia! God I hate her.**

"But can't we make it like it was?" Bailey offered, Gardevoir nodding in agreement.

"Gallade?" Gallade cocked his head, frowning lightly.

"I don't know Bailey." Max stopped his brushing for a few seconds, hesitating, before resuming his steady strokes.

"Can't we move on?"

Bailey's voice was soft, gentle, pleading. "Why Max? You were the one who instigated it," she dropped a hand on Max's shoulder, who paused in his brushing again.

"Why are you so afraid?" Bailey's voice turned vulnerable and self-conscious as she whispered the question.

 **Yes, Max came and cried to me about all his insecurities. Of course it's my job to comfort him. Argh.**

The tense silence surrounded the two of them in the secluded hallway, their starters glaring at their trainers.

"I'm afraid you'll hurt me again," Max finally said, his voice was just as soft as Bailey's was, but instead of vulnerable, his was pained. Hurt laced with agonizing, crippling pain.

"Hurt?" Bailey breathed.

"You think you didn't hurt me by walking away?" Max asked, anger creeping in. "That without giving me answer, walking away, rejecting me, all of that, didn't hurt?"

 **Yeah, I felt pretty bad for him.**

"Of course it hurt. It hurt to walk away." Bailey retorted, yet hesitated. "But...you didn't call out, or wait for an answer, you backed away like you did something bad. You didn't do anything, it was almost as if...it was nothing to you. So I thought...it would be best if I left."

The pair just stared silently at each other, their argument not really even registering in their heads.

Suddenly, Max's head snapped upwards. "That's so dumb!" he snorted, glaring still, but a hint of a smile creeped up his lips.

 **Yeah, it was. But I'm in no place to argue. My life is way too messed up on the 'love' part.**

"Well...then things got awkward, and hey, what was I supposed to do?" Bailey shrugged, almost slipping into a grin herself.

"Well, well…" Max floundered, a teensy bit lost.

"I'm glad you're back and we cleared that up?" Max offered, grimacing at his choice of words.

"Sure Max," Bailey giggled, tossing her hair behind her shoulder, and motioning towards Gardevoir. "Shall we go to our room now? Ms. Disappearing-Act?"

"Gardevoir," Gardevoir cracked a grin, and nodded to Max and his Pokemon before following her trainer.

"Oh wait! I'll see you later Max? I'm staying for two weeks, you?" Bailey called, people from the lobby staring at her weirdly. "Uh, just a week, my Pokemon are taking a break." Max called back meekly, turning around to continue brushing.

"See you around!" Bailey called cheerfully, Gardevoir rolling her eyes as she floated behind her.

* * *

 **Gardevoir's POV:**

"Deoxys. Arceus. Groudon and Kyogre. Giratina, Palkia, and Dialga! I just talked to MAX," Bailey gaped, shaking her head with disbelief as she collapsed onto one of the many couches in the Pokemon center. Afternoon sunlight filtered onto the material.

"Gardevoir?" Gardevoir cocked an eyebrow, staring at her trainer with amusement. It was so obvious! She did absolutely nothing to hide her attraction.

"And it went decently! Not the mumble-jumble mess like the past three times we saw each other at the Kanto league," she giggled like a little girl, gasping and choking.

"Gardevoir?"

Now Gardevoir was just simply annoyed. Sure, she and Gallade were good friends and it was always fun to battle him, but could Bailey just: A, get over it. Or B, manipulate Max to ask her out already!

Her trainer was definitely smart enough. She could probably give that Ashley character a run for her money on cunningness.

Ashley had tried to win over Gardevoir with Poffins, as she was native from Sinnoh, but Gardevoir had came from the Hoenn region. Only Pokeblocks and Pokefood for her. Poffins were absolutely, _horrid._

And Gardevoir liked traditions. Max had to ask Bailey out. Not the other way around. You treat a lady properly. Though sometimes, Gardevoir wondered how lady-like Bailey really was. She was as wild and crazy as a young boy. And never dressed up either. Even when she dressed Gardevoir up for some crazy thing called a con-test. It was actually fun and Gardevoir enjoyed making the humans gasp in awe as she showed off her grace and tremendous power.

She and Bailey had won the thing called a Wallace Cup.

Wallace's Milotic was nice and polite. She was beautiful, and she knew it. Yet somehow, not at all arrogant. They had a decent talk while Wallace presented her trainer with the ribbon. Milotic had explained contests, and said that maybe Bailey could become like her trainer, Wallace, who did both contests, _and_ League battling.

Gardevoir had promised to see what she could do about it, and promised to see if she and Bailey could visit her again. Milotic had been pleased and so did Wallace, as he was able to convince Bailey to become both a battler and a coordinator.

That was back in the Kanto league, a year after they split up. Somehow, they both decided to travel in Kanto, and luckily, they never saw each other. But at the Kanto league, they had been matched up in the semi-finals, and Bailey had barley beaten Max with only her Dragonair standing.

Bailey had found Dragonair as a Dratini, stranded and wounded on land. She was far, far away from the lake nearby, where she lived. Bailey helped Dratini back into the water and healed her wounds. Turns out, a Braviary had snatched Dratini out of the water and after Dratini shot a Dragon Pulse at it, it had dropped her, and the impact had wounded Dratini too much to get back into the water. Dratini had thanked Bailey, and the two became good friends. Bailey visited the lake often, and Dratini would always wait for her. Bailey immediately went back for Dratini after she set out on her journey, but it was quite aways from Bailey's home, and she only visited once a month or so. Bailey had gotten Dratini as her second Pokemon, a week after she had started out with Ralts.

Gardevoir, who she met as a Ralts, who became Bailey's starter, had encountered Bailey in the forest. Ralts had been curious and fun. They spent hours playing. Brendan and Professor eventually wandered by, and Professor Birch let her borrow a Pokeball early, and catch Ralts, so she could come home with Bailey.

After Kanto, Bailey had went off to compete in the Johto league, and do coordinating at the same time, as Max visited Sinnoh, battling the Sinnoh league. Now it was their third season, and Bailey was in Unova to relax, while Max was traveling through Unova.

 **Yeah, Gardevoir told me all about it when she came over with Bailey. Family gatherings and all that. She told me the entire story in her point of view, and I watched it, literally, through her eyes. I lived through her memories, so I thought I'd put in some of her opinion.**

* * *

"Hey! I'm going out with Dragonair, wanna come?" Bailey tapped her foot impatiently while she waited for Gardevoir to come out of her stupor. "You know, the beach, water? Sand and all that fun stuff?"

Bailey watched as Gardevoir's face scrunched up in annoyance. Gardevoir hated sand. And water was okay. But she hated sand. Whenever someone used Sandstorm, Gardevoir got real angry, and unleashed abnormal powers. And it wasn't even an ability! Gardevoir just really wanted to get out of the scratchy minerals. Bailey admitted that she was guilty of manipulating her opponents to use Sandstorm sometimes, just to get Gardevoir angry. But that's also when Gardevoir lost control, and everything was based on their bond.

Bailey even had a mega-stone for that purpose, and for some reason, when Gardevoir mega-evolved, her power was funneled, and she was able to think clearly, but still had enough emotion to power through Pokemon.

 **I lost to her once, but won every other time. The only time I didn't Mega.**

Bailey's mouth curved up into a smile. Gardevoir hated sand, way to much to allow Bailey to convince her to come.

She guessed it was bonding time between her and Dragonair.

"Gardevoir!" Gardevoir shook her head stubbornly, as predicted.

Bailey grinned, returned a grumpy Gardevoir, palmed Dragonair's Pokeball, and strutted out the door.

The blast of warm, salty air made Bailey inhale sharply. "Time for some fun Dragonair!"

The blue, snake Pokemon popped out sleepily, curling and twisting her body around.

"Drag! Nair?" she protested, blinking her eyes furiously,

"Hey! Can we go out to the ocean for a while? It's been a long day," Bailey sighed, reaching out to pet the horn on Dragonair's head.

"Dragonair!" Dragonair mewled, twisting her tail and the two orbs on the end, so that they would spray Bailey with sand.

 **Just like Milotic! She's gorgeous, and powerful, but playful, like Bailey's Dragonair. I wonder when she's going to evolve it. Or did she give it an EverStone?**

"Okay! Okay, I get it!" Bailey giggled, making a 'follow' gesture, and walking towards the sea and fading sunset.

Dragonair slipped into the water, gliding along as Bailey dove in with her, her day clothes off and her bathing suit on.

Dragonair helped Bailey onto her back as she shot off like a bullet, the wind whipping her long blond air back and forth.

 **I used to do that. With Wartortle and Milotic. But I didn't have a Dragonair. I've always wanted one.**

What they didn't expect was the Wailord that suddenly appeared, jumping up and spraying them with water.

 **The poor guy was in for a 'good' punishment. If you call it a punishment at all.**

Max grinned as Wailord did his job, floating the surface, his bloated body blocking Bailey's way.

Bailey gasped in shock and flailed backwards…...straight onto a Tentacruel.

Max winced. He knew from experience the pain and trouble they could cause.

But, Max couldn't help but laugh at Bailey's flailing arms, and ordered Salamence to help her.

 **So chivalrous. How come he can't be like that with me!?**

A few minutes later, Dragonair was staring curiously up at her trainer and Max upon Salamence. She sang out her greeting, and Salamence replied back.

 **Some special Dragon type song.**

"Really Max? You couldn't even let me have some fun?" Bailey snapped, glaring at the sheepish trainer, who grinned guiltily.

 **Guilty, guilty, guilty!**

"Well...Wailord and me were training when we saw you and Dragonair coming out. So I thought I'd surprise you. And I couldn't exactly be standing on Wailord while we were training, so Salamence helped me out," Max answered.

"Hm," Bailey didn't look like she was happy about that.

 **Of course not! You try having a boy you have a crush on, whom you haven't seen in forever, meet up with him, and a few hours later, he interrupts your unwinding time! Arceus!**

But then suddenly, both of them were too conscious of their bodies pressed up against each other, atop Salamence who gave a low growl, almost in warning.

 **Eww. I can't even believe I'm telling the story like this, but here goes nothing!**

Bailey was sopping wet and dripping, shivering hard. Her blond hair was a watery sheet on her back, that invited the cooling ocean breeze to freeze her solid.

 **The images are burned in my head! Eww! And I don't even know how Gardevoir was able to see all this from her Pokeball! Eugh!...Alright. Take a deep breath, we're going to say this all in one breath, or at least very fast. Ready? Set? Go!**

And Max was warm, waves of hot, solid heat rolling off him, making Bailey blush, and shiver harder, though not for the reason before. His arms wrapped around her tentatively, and when Bailey rose her eyebrows at the gesture, Max whispered, "To keep you warm." And that was that.

For a few tense seconds after that, there was silence while Max observed Bailey from behind, unsure whether to let her go back into the warm water with Dragonair, who was impatiently thrashing below, or to bring her back to land, and keep her warm inside the Pokemon Center.

Bailey couldn't take it after those few seconds, struggling against Max's grip and turning around sharply, so that she was facing him.

Max looked nervous, and shy, and his large black eyes were wide, and Bailey would see every speckle of brown in Max's eyes, the fading sunlight illuminating them, giving them an unearthly glow.

Bailey inhaled shallowly, the old crush suddenly seem so much like a crush. Max sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck with his right hand. He paused, probably thinking about his choices.

His face was scrunched up cutely and Bailey felt the urge to straighten his crooked glasses.

"You are so going to mad at me. May's going to be mad at me. I'm going to be mad at myself…" Max trailed off, hands clenched tightly together.

And then he leaned in. Bailey's brain short-circuited for a moment, before realizing what Max was doing. He shakily leaned in, and pressed his lips insistently against Bailey's.

It felt...so right!

There were burst of pure happiness, and emotions rushing through Bailey.

Of course Bailey had been kissed before. She wasn't exactly ugly, but she wasn't pretty, so that she only had two boyfriends, and with both of them, she had kissed them. But they never went any further.

Kissing them was good, like...they were good, experienced kissers.

They made her feel warm and fuzzy, while with Max, it was pure emotions. Hormones and chemicals rushed through Bailey's brain, shutting any logical part off, and encouraging the part who wanted to vigorously kiss Max back.

Max started panicking, trying to break away, because Bailey was still frozen, but Bailey's right hand suddenly darted out, wrapping tightly around the nape of his neck, pulling him back in.

She kissed him back, tilting her head to change the angle, and the tingle of even more Butterfrees tickled her stomach.

"Arceus," Max mumbled against her lips, clearly more enamored as Bailey kissed him ferociously back.

"Mm-hm," Bailey agreed, breathing the same air he exhaled.

 **Then two were back at it. So yeah. That was how Max and Bailey got together. I was so going to lock them in a room together and not let them out until they admitted their crushes, but lucky them right? They get to sort out everything with kisses.**

 **So, after that little moment, they went back and explained everything from their own point of view to each other, and they finally made the decision...yada yada. Well that's it for now! See you later! And catch another episode of LOVE EXPEDITIONS!**

* * *

 **AN: So...did you figure out who it is? That's right! It's May Maple! Max's older sister. The Lydia hint kinda gave it away if you read my fic, 'What Happened'. This kinda just popped in my head, and I hope I captured Max and May's personality correctly. I do so love Pokemon. And May would so have a Milotic! She so would! Review please! Tell me how bad or good I did, and if you got the POV right! :)**

 **-Ang**


End file.
